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until now, but she didn’t enjoy being a widow, particularly now that all her children had left home. In fact, life had become rather tedious and without Ronan to cheer her up, she couldn’t see it improving.
    She sat and thought about it, vaguely aware of Kathleen staring at her, grateful that her companion didn’t say anything to interrupt her thoughts.
    Should she go? Dare she go?
    The alternative was to stay here and die of boredom. She’d had more than enough of that.
    She was only mildly surprised to hear her own voice, sounding to come from a long way away. ‘Yes, I’ll do it. I’ll go to Australia with you. Why not? What have I got to keep me here at Ardgullan?’
    Maia went to sit on the front veranda on her own. She felt too restless to sleep and since the night was mild with a full moon shining, she went to stroll round the gardens, which were only half-finished. They didn’t have proper flower beds yet, but there were paths winding among the remaining trees and a few bushes had been planted, some of which were in flower. There was always something in flower in Australia.
    She didn’t try to stop the tears tonight. She tried not to weep at the thought of being separated from Xanthe, especially in front of her twin, but sometimes she just couldn’t help it. They’d always been so close, she and Xanthe.
    After a few minutes she ended up on the far side of the stables and went to lean on the rough fence, made from sapling trunks alternating in a zig-zag pattern, each one set on top of another. She didn’t realise someone else was there until a man moved forward and she couldn’t help crying out in shock.
    ‘It’s only me.’
    She’d recognise Conn’s voice anywhere. ‘It’s – um – a beautiful night, isn’t it?’
    ‘Too beautiful to be crying. What’s wrong?’
    She scrubbed at her eyes, not knowing what to say, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
    ‘Ah, Maia!’ He pulled her into his arms and held her close. ‘Are you fretting because your sister wants to leave?’
    ‘I don’t think I can bear it. We’ve never been parted before.’ She sobbed against him, unable to hold back the tears that had built up over the past few months.
    When her weeping eased, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled handkerchief. ‘Here. It’s more or less clean.’
    She tried to take it from him but her hand was shaking so badly she dropped it and when he picked it up, he clasped her fingers around it with his big warm hands and then stilled. She heard him suck in his breath sharply and looked up at him. The moonlight was shining down on them both like a blessing.
    For a moment neither of them moved, then he pulled her close to him and said simply, ‘It won’t go away, this feeling between us, will it?’
    ‘No. Conn, I know I’m only a maid, but I lo—’
    He pressed his fingers to her lips. ‘Shh. Don’t say it. I must tell you something. I should have done it before now, once I realised how you felt.’ He turned her to stand with her back to him, wrapping his arms round her, so that she fitted comfortably against his body. ‘Maia, I’m attracted to you, too, of course I am, but I’m already married.’
    It was the last thing she’d expected to hear. ‘Married!’ she whispered, through lips that suddenly felt icy cold. ‘But you have no wife here, and you’ve never mentioned one. Nor has your mother.’
    ‘She’s in Ireland still and I hate her, hope I never see her as long as I live. It wasn’t a happy marriage – wasn’t really a marriage at all – but my father and hers were eager for it; and my father was upsetting my mother, blaming her for my refusal to consider the marriage. Kathleen seemed pleasant enough while we were courting, eager to please. Best of all, she had a love of horses to match my own. I thought that might be enough to get by with and I’d never met anyone else I’d had a fancy for, so in the end I said yes.’
    His laughter was low and yet harsh,